Honeybees have been evicted from an allotment because a council has defined them as "livestock". IT consultant Jason Clegg has been ordered to remove five hives containing 100,000 bees from his plot in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, by Kirklees council.

Quoting the 1950 Allotment Act, the council wrote: "Permission must be sought before any livestock is allowed on allotments." Livestock is usually defined as domestic animals raised for home use or profit.

Clegg, who built a two-metre fence around the hives, said the ruling was "absolutely crazy". He had consulted other allotment holders before introducing the hives, and was disappointed at the decision, especially given the fragile state of Britain's declining honeybee population.

He accused the council of contradicting its own environment policies. "Instead of trying to support what is rapidly becoming an endangered species, they are doing the opposite," he said.